> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://arklowdocs.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capacity pools

A destination tells Arklow where work should go. A capacity pool tells Arklow what that destination depends on.

Every destination belongs to a pool. A new destination begins in a standalone pool of its own. If several destinations draw from the same set of containers, GPU cluster, model deployment, or provider quota, you can place them in one shared pool.

## Standalone and shared pools

A standalone pool keeps one destination's capacity separate from every other destination. This is the right default when a destination has its own scaling boundary.

A shared pool represents one physical supply of capacity behind several destinations. When that supply is constrained, Arklow evaluates demand from every member against their shared capacity.

Only group destinations that compete for the same underlying resource. Similar work, shared ownership, or matching labels are not enough on their own.

<Warning>
  Pooling destinations declares that pressure and capacity are shared. Grouping unrelated destinations can cause work on one destination to wait for a constraint that belongs to another.
</Warning>

## Pool allocation

Arklow continues to control each lane locally. A shared pool adds a second boundary across the destinations and lanes drawing from the same capacity.

When the pool is steady, active work can use capacity that other lanes do not need. When the pool is constrained, Arklow can hold excess work from a noisy contributor while preserving room for other active lanes. Admission follows the tighter of the lane's local limit and its current share of the pool.

## Create a shared pool

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a destination">
    Go to [**Destinations**](https://app.arklow.io/dashboard/destinations) and open one of the destinations that uses the shared capacity.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose what it shares with">
    Under **Pooling**, select another destination or an existing shared pool backed by the same physical resource.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the relationship">
    Review the destinations that will share pressure and capacity, then confirm the change.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the remaining members">
    Open the pool to add or remove other destinations that use the same capacity.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Removing a destination gives it a standalone pool again. Scale targets remain attached to their pool, so move or delete a target before removing the last destination it can serve.

<Card title="Scale targets" icon="chart-line" href="/resources/scale-targets/index">
  Connect a pool to infrastructure that can change its real supply of capacity.
</Card>